A Fateful Walk
by emoly01
Summary: Ed took a walk to clear his head and found himself contemplating the conundrum named Roy Mustang - only to find the object of his attention. - They stared at each other for a long moment, while both of them saw their options laid out before them. What could Ed say to that ruffled, sexy visage when he was so angry and simultaneously infatuated?
1. Chapter 1

Roy closed his eyes, his nose against the crook of her hot neck. Blond hair tickled his forehead as he thrusted into her sweet body. Blinding pleasure brought her to grasp his shoulders and leave bruises. He was much gentler, preferring to keep his arm wrapped around her waist to keep their skin in contact. She moaned in his ear, and he felt her tighten around him as she orgasmed for the third time that night. It didn't take long for him to release afterward. Despite his weak muscles, he kept himself from slumping on top of her and slowly slid out of her.

Her breath was still hot, and his own as heavy as hers. He rolled over, and she lay there, watching him with the wrong set of eyes. Roy rolled off the bed, and removed the condom with care, quickly disposing of it in the small trash can she kept in her room, mostly for tissues when she was sick. She whispered, "Roy, come back to bed." He turned around and smirked at her, crawling wordlessly back onto the bed. She situated herself according to how he lay down, on his side facing her.

She pressed her forehead against his chest, and he absently sifted through her hair so he could pretend this was who he wanted to be sleeping with. Long, blond hair... That's what had gotten his attention at the bar, of course. The hair. She'd turned around, laughing, and ruined his illusion that he'd seen who he wanted. She had the same sun-kissed skin, and calloused hands without long nails. He'd paid attention to those things, even her confident and benevolent nature. She wasn't as brash, or loud, or fiery, but it had been worth it.

A slow sense of hollowness returned to his chest, and throbbed a little with every heartbeat. This wasn't who he wanted. She'd been fierce, and this had been the best sex he'd had in a long time, but this wasn't what he wanted. He'd wake up in the morning, use her shower, and never see her again - because he didn't want her. With everything else, he'd been able to fool himself. She had relatively small breasts, and her hips weren't incredibly wide. She was fit, and he'd never much paid attention to the automail, so it was easy to ignore the fact she didn't have any. But her eyes were all wrong - a light, playful green. Not hard, fierce gold. But he'd have to stick with these people, wrong and fleeting, because what he wanted - _who_ he wanted - was out of his reach. And that's why he ached.

He didn't know how long he lay there beside this stranger, feeling empty. He knew, however, that by the time he stood up, his sweat was stale and dry on his skin, and that his partner was fast asleep.

Ed stared up at the sky. The black canvas was speckled with smallish white things. He wasn't a fan of stargazing in the freezing cold, surrounded by snow. Well, he kind of was. It was nostalgic when he did it with Al, but it always made him contemplative, and he didn't necessarily like that. When he was a kid, even when he was fifteen, it had been a good way to reflect on who he was or to think clearly on a problem. Now, though, settled into this military routine, waiting for the day his contract terminated, his thoughts always turned to things he'd rather avoid thinking about. But tonight, it seemed unavoidable.

Staring at the stars was only a slightly better alternative to lying in his bed and staring at the ceiling, thinking about the same things. These spells only happened occasionally. In fact, he would even consider them rare. He was smart, and _liked _to think, so it was bound to happen sometimes. He would think about something he'd been avoiding and skirting around for years. He knew himself pretty well, and knew it was unlike him to avoid something instead of take it head on, but this was not something he was willing to gamble on. Besides, he was older. He had to start taking precautions sometime.

Hands in his pockets, he kept walking. He didn't know where he was going, really. His feet kept moving while his brain whirled around this subject he liked to avoid. Only when he walked into something did he remove his gaze from the stars, and he was walking pretty slowly. He was wondering what Roy Mustang was doing tonight. The only reason he even wondered centered around what would be occurring the next day - Valentine's Day. He wouldn't have even known tomorrow was Valentine's Day, except that Al had mentioned it on the phone while simultaneously asking about his love life. Ed had replied curtly and ended that conversation quickly.

And so, Ed had been forced into thinking about this subject that he didn't want to broach. Roy Mustang. What was Roy doing right now? Screwing a girl? Drinking himself into oblivion? Both? His breath rose in a swirling mist, a stark contrast against the black sky. What was he going to do about Roy? When he'd first asked himself this question, he'd been sure it was a fleeting crush. The man was a sex _god_, never mind how intelligent and strong he was, or how just his presence was a safe haven. It was three years later, and the question remained. He couldn't say it was exactly an obsession, either. He could go days without thinking about Roy, but when he did... His chest squeezed.

Yes, the man was infuriating. But that wasn't the only aspect of his personality, that mocking, authoritative attitude. He was more than that. And it was special to know someone who instantly made him feel safe. Alphonse was like that, but then again, Ed didn't want to screw Al. Just someone reliable, who would watch his back without questions. And then there was the fact Roy knew him. Knew his transgressions, knew his darkest secrets, knew him as a person. It was pretty rare to find someone who understood him so well, too.

If he felt so strongly, why didn't he act on his feelings? Well, to begin with, Roy was pretty straight. Secondly, if he wasn't, he probably wouldn't return Ed's feelings. Thirdly, if Roy _did_ reciprocate Ed's feelings, he would _still_ reject Ed because of his career. His ambitious goals of becoming Fuhrer. Even as these reasons went through Ed's mind, he knew he was making excuses. He knew why he really didn't want to confront Roy with his feelings, and it was not because he was afraid of rejection, which all of those were related to. He knew that an objective part of his brain saw his situation and whispered the truth. _I don't want to hurt him, if things turn out for the worse. _

He couldn't protect Al from that, because Al was his brother and it was useless to fight genetics. But if he could save Roy from the inevitable pain that comes from being close with someone, then he would. The pain always came, somehow. He didn't think he could be close to Roy, and not make the man regret it. He didn't know how Al didn't regret their relationship, after convincing him to perform human transmutation...

Ed sighed and the mist rose into the sky once more. He'd delved into these thoughts, but they just brought him in circles. If he wasn't going to act on his feelings, what could he do about Roy Mustang? Because he was _not_ happy with the way things were. Going into work, wanting to touch him, looking to anger for a distraction, coming home to a cold bed and eating alone. He used to share the flat with Al, but Al had left to marry Winry a long time ago. Back then, it had been easy to ignore how lonely he was. Now, though... it stared him in the face every time he came home. He'd have to deal with it, though, because he couldn't act on his feelings. He was strong enough to get through it.

But... through to what? When was it going to end?

The cold made his automail heavy. He turned his head from the sky to the street. It was time to go back. He stopped outside an apartment building, and turned around to head back. He couldn't make himself walk forward, retrace his steps. The thought of going back... cold bed... eating alone... But what choice did he have? It wasn't like he could walk all night, or go to Roy's house. An even worse question arose when he gathered the courage to step forward. _Where am I?_

He pressed his lips together firmly. He was lost.

He barely contained his fury. His blood boiled. He clenched his jaw, and his fists. He curled his toes and tried his hardest not to scream in frustration and break something. Instead, he settled on lamely kicking the building beside him, not even very hard. It occurred to him that his anger might be unprecedented, but he knew what he was angry about. "I fuckin' hate myself sometimes," he grumbled, and kicked the building again. He didn't really mean that he hated himself. Instead, he meant he was angry at himself - for being weak concerning Roy, for getting himself lost, for letting Al's innocent questions make him react so strongly...

"Edward," a voice spoke. The syllables were half exclamation, half question. Ed snapped his head up and stared at Roy. His gaze hardened on the man, as his emotions returned tenfold. Roy stood by the doorway of the apartment building, several feet away, eyes wide in shock, and hair mussed. He was wearing a jacket, but Ed could see the smaller details. His shirt was wrinkled, and not buttoned all the way, accented by the fact he hadn't closed his jacket, either. He'd obviously been in a hurry, since he hadn't even buttoned his pants.

They stared at each other for a long moment, while both of them saw their options laid out before them. What could Ed say to that ruffled, sexy visage when he was so angry and simultaneously infatuated? Disgruntled, and anger somewhat suffused from the sight, Ed crossed his arms. "What?" he snapped.

Roy blinked a couple times and opened his mouth to respond, but clearly thought better of it, as he stopped, and didn't speak until after an awkward silence. "I didn't expect to see you, that's all. I can leave you alone. I didn't mean to disturb your walk." Roy returned his attention to himself, and buttoned his pants as he walked down the steps from the exit of the apartment building. Ed realized with a grimace that Roy was his way out of this dump, wherever it was.

"I don't care," he replied with a dismissive wave of his hand, portraying aloofness. How to ask Roy for help? Damn it! He hated asking for help. Roy looked up from fixing his shirt, and stopped on the sidewalk, examining Ed slowly. The blond was in his usual outfit, facing his own footprints. Ed looked pretty unhappy, and really cold, judging by the shade of his cheeks and the tensed muscles. But why was Ed facing his footprints?

"Walk me home, then," Roy demanded, finishing up his buttons. "I could use a little company." He approached Ed, and saw the blond roll his eyes. Clearly, Roy had just had a little 'company.' But Ed didn't complain, much to Roy's surprise, but only because he knew the way home from Roy's house, but not from where they currently were. Ed turned around and they walked in silence for a long moment. Eventually, Roy asked, "What brought you to the neighborhood?"

Ed shrugged nonchalantly, watching the scenery, and kicking chunks of ice occasionally. "Dunno. I was... just walking." He bit his tongue on anything else he might have wanted to say. That was vague enough, and hopefully Roy wouldn't push any further. To his relief, the man in question hummed in understanding, and the walk continued toward the Brigadier General's home. Ed realized his earlier question had been answered; he knew what Roy had been up to. Getting laid, as expected. "What about you?" Ed asked, "Wasn't your date impressed, or weren't you?"

Roy barked out a short laugh, and Ed noted the sardonic smirk on his face. "No," he answered wryly, "We liked each other well enough." He remembered the reason he'd chosen to bring her to bed. Her hair... He met Ed's gaze briefly. "I didn't come over to sleep, though, and she was quite tired." Ed snorted at the obvious implication that _he'd_ made her tired. With sex. It was pretty late, so they must have been at it for a few hours if they'd had dinner around seven, and walked to her apartment...

"Seems kind of heartless to leave so quickly after, though," Ed remarked absently, actually thinking about what obscene things Roy did with that girl. What did she look like? What was she like in bed? Did Roy actually enjoy himself? Roy, on the other hand, listened to Ed's observation, and took the offhand remark to heart. He let it swirl around for a hot minute, feeling a little guilty and a little embarrassed.

"I think she'll understand," he assured himself out loud, and added in a mutter, more to himself than Edward, "and if she doesn't, I don't really care. I'm not going to see her again." He mentally shook those thoughts away and looked at Ed, who was currently scowling. "Is everything okay?" he asked, unsure of what to make of Ed's fierce expression.

Ed huffed and stuffed his hands into his pockets. "It's fine. I was just..." he trailed off, uncertain that he could answer that question honestly. He'd been thinking about that girl, and admittedly felt very sour toward her, but then Roy had spoken and a sort of satisfaction had swept through him. She wasn't special to him. But he realized he was thinking those things, and was upset with himself for letting his emotions get the better of him. It wasn't like Roy was his, or anything. So what could he say, to lie? He wasn't the best at lying. He finished with a half truth. "I was just thinking about how much I hate girls. I don't know how you can stand them."

Roy chortled, a brief, almost silent little laugh. Ed glanced up at the man, and found him with that sardonic smile still in place. In that lighting, with that expression, it was easy to see how tired Roy was. Maybe it was from a late night romp in someone else's bedroom, but the wry expression suggested something deeper than that. Ed was content to observe without comment, so he looked away and didn't say anything about it.

Roy stopped walking, and Ed followed suit, glancing around for an indication of why they'd stopped walking. He spotted Roy's townhouse, and Roy standing at the beginning of the little walkway that led to the front door. He felt torn for a moment. He had been enjoying the company, and the reprieve from thinking too much, but now that he knew his way back, he no longer had an excuse to stay with Roy.

Roy was dealing with a similar conundrum, the cold sinking into his clothes with every passing second. He wanted to go inside... A glance at Ed told him that he wasn't the only one who felt the same way. Before he could say anything, however, Ed said, "Well, I guess I'll see you later." He braced himself to start walking again, but Roy stopped him with a simple suggestion.

"You could stay," he said. Ed's jaw clenched at the suggestion. Yes, he could stay. He could also leave. Why would Roy say that? Why would he stay, when he was set on putting distance between himself and Roy? He met Roy's gaze, and found something hopeful, but also pained, in that unusually bare expression. Where did his mask go? Roy insisted, "It's cold, and you look like you could use a break from it. Besides," he added, wry smile reappearing, "it's got to be better than sitting alone at home." Ed stared back at Roy, borderline glaring, as the man struck him right in the gut verbally. His former comment, however, brought his attention to his cold foot and hand, and the heavy automail, and his muscles that strained to keep from shivering.

He exhaled and muttered, "Why not?" Relief flooded Roy's countenance briefly before he turned around and led the way into the townhouse. Ed didn't really take note of his surroundings until he found himself staring at a crackling fire, and Roy was removing his jacket and boots. Ed kicked off his boots as well, and made himself comfortable on the white couch across the room from the fire. He could feel the warmth seeping back into his clothes, his muscles, his bones... It was a nice feeling.

"It's weird you invited me inside," he observed, looking over at the man he addressed. Roy was sitting on a lounge chair, leaning back with his eyes closed. His shirt still wasn't buttoned all the way, and his sleeves were pushed up lazily, cuffs undone. He looked like he'd just completely unraveled. It was so... different from the person in the office. So vulnerable.

Roy shrugged without conviction. "It seemed like the nice thing to do."

Ed snorted and replied sarcastically, "You say that like you're normally unduly nice to me. I didn't do anything to make you feel obligated. You spend most of our time together mocking me. So I'll say it again. It's weird you invited me inside." He narrowed his eyes at Roy, who slowly opened his eyes and lifted his head to meet his gaze. Roy looked him over again. Ed looked like he was at ease, but his eyes were alight with fiery... something. Passionate anger or hate. He almost seemed to be challenging Roy.

Roy gave up and answered frankly, "I didn't want you to go. I'm lonely tonight." That was effective in silencing Edward. Whatever fierceness Ed had been extending to Roy retreated to smolder and lash back out later. Ed crossed his arms, feeling the familiar ache in his gut just at the word - lonely. Roy reached for the end table beside his chair. Ed heard a soft clink and looked up to see the man pouring them both drinks. He didn't say anything about offering a glass to Ed, just let the silent offer sit on the table while he drank from his own glass. Roy went on, unfazed by the bitter taste in his mouth, "It's actually the reason I went out looking for a date tonight. In those terms, my endeavor was unsuccessful."

"I don't see how I could help you feel less lonely," Ed replied dubiously as Roy refilled his glass.

Roy answered without hesitation, "Just sitting there is enough." Again, this forced silence from Ed. Ed glared at his knees, wishing he wasn't stuck like this. He was hard pressed to leave, since he had no reason for being there and he really didn't want to face his feelings for Roy right then. On the other hand, he didn't want to leave. He was enjoying Roy's company, and Roy had said he was feeling lonely... Would it be cruel to leave?

Roy stared at the fire while Ed sat in silence. He swirled the glass in his hands absently, lost in his own thoughts. Flames danced before his vision. What was he doing? Keeping Ed here. Why? Things could only end poorly. But he knew that what he'd said was the truth. He was just lonely, and his attraction to Ed didn't help. It also didn't help that Ed had so willingly come inside, and walked him home... "Maybe it is weird that I invited you inside," he acknowledged, earning a suspicious glance from Ed, "but it's weirder that you walked me home and accepted my invitation without complaining." He moved his eyes from the fire and looked at Ed, who was glaring at him. "Why would that be?"

Ed sneered at him. "I don't owe it to you to answer."

Roy raised an eyebrow and smirked, a poor resemblance to the confident man from the office. "Equivalent Exchange. I told you why I invited you in. Tell me why you accepted." Ed continued to glare at him, ready to fire arguments at him. After all, Ed hadn't _asked_ why Roy invited him in. But something in Roy's expression - the exhaustion - made him stop. He wasn't sure if it would be cruel to leave Roy alone when he was feeling lonely already, but he was certain it would be cruel to argue with the man when he was that exhausted.

He huffed and spat his answer. "I walked with you because I was lost, and I know my way home from your place." He looked at Roy to see if that was enough, but his expression hadn't changed, and he was waiting for more. Ed's lip twitched unpleasantly, and he finished quietly, locking gazes with Roy, "I came inside because I was pretty lonely myself." He saw the shock flicker across Roy's face, and decided to take the edge off his confession by adding with a shiver, "And it was fucking cold outside. It's a fuckin' twenty minute walk from your place to mine."

Roy offered quietly, "You could stay here the night." Ed's expression went blank as he saw the sincerity and the dwindling hope in Roy's face. Why was he doing this? How could he torture them both by suggesting something they both knew Ed would refuse? Roy added, tone almost pleading, "I have an extra room upstairs, and it's really cold outside." When Ed didn't seem like he was about to budge, Roy added desperately, "I'll feel incredibly alone when you leave, Ed."

Ed shook his head in disbelief and scrubbed his right hand over his eyes. "How much did you drink tonight?"

Roy hesitated before answering, "I'm not sure, but it can't have been too much. I don't stumble when I walk." When Ed just sat there, eyes covered, Roy felt his hope wither. "Let's change that then," he mumbled, and knocked back the rest of his glass before pouring some more. He had finished downing that one and was pouring another when Ed finally looked up and met his gaze, completely fierce and determined. Roy stopped with the glass at his lips. Ed got to his feet, stomped over to the lounge chair, and grabbed the glass Roy had put down for him and forgotten about seconds later. He knocked it back like an expert, and smacked it back onto the wood.

"I'll stay," Ed murmured, and grabbed the bottle of scotch out of Roy's hands. "But you aren't drinking any more of this." Roy, too surprised by Ed's actions, and too relieved to hear Ed was staying, didn't complain, or even really care. He just watched solemnly as Ed placed himself between Roy and the fireplace, leaning against the grey bricks around the fire, his arms crossed, and eyes glued to the dancing flames. He'd placed the bottle of scotch on the mantlepiece.

Mouth numb, Roy asked, "Why?" In other words, why did you decide to stay? Ed turned his head to look at Roy, and was tempted to feign misunderstanding, to explain why he took the scotch away, even though Roy's soft, dumbfounded tone displayed clearly exactly what he was asking about. He tossed the thought aside, instead deciding he wasn't answering questions, and that it was still Roy's turn.

He retorted, "Why are you so certain I'll make you less lonely?"

Roy's mouth went dry at the question, the alcoholic haze worsening from his last drink. It wasn't such a bad idea to answer Ed's question, right? He was only vaguely aware of why he hadn't before explained this to Ed, but it didn't matter. It wasn't a bad idea. He replied, "Because I love you." Silence followed and he wondered briefly if maybe it had been a bad idea. Ed went stiff, eyes wide, staring straight at Roy.

Ed whispered, "You've been drinking. You're not thinking straight. Why don't I-"

"Alcohol doesn't make up false emotions for you," Roy interrupted, frowning at Ed's disbelieving expression. Did he think Roy was lying? "Alcohol lowers your inhibitions," he explained, although he was sure Ed already knew this. It just helped his point. "I really do love you. The alcohol has nothing to do with that. It has to do with the fact that I decided to _tell_ you." Ed met his gaze and searched his eyes for a long moment, looking for a way out of this, but also... wishing somehow that he didn't have to.

"Then you've made a pretty poor decision," Ed whispered. He'd never drank alcohol before in his life, and he knew in the back of his head that what Roy was saying was true. In that same part of his brain, he knew three other things. Firstly: since he'd never drank before, he had no tolerance. Secondly: he was missing two limbs, so alcohol would act much swifter and stronger because he had less body parts to distribute to. Thirdly: he'd just swallowed a glass of scotch.

And even though he knew those things, it didn't seem like a bad idea to have more to deal with this problem he was currently faced with. What to do about Roy Mustang? He muttered, "I change my mind." He picked up the scotch, and brought it back over to the end table where the two glasses sat. He poured some more for the both of them and quickly swallowed his glass. Roy did the same. The warmth emanating from his stomach was nice, like he'd never been outside in the cold at all.

"Are you alright?" Roy asked, eyes twinkling in amusement. Ed liked that face, that smile. Roy looked much less tired this way, much happier, much _sexier_. He heard the question, and thought about answering it, but didn't on account of the fact that it was a dumb question. "You look a little pink," Roy elaborated, reaching up and touching Ed's hot cheek with the back of his fingers. Ed glared at Roy because the question was still stupid, but he didn't pull away from the touch. It wasn't... bad.

Roy furrowed his eyebrows, worried again. Ed hadn't said anything to his confession. He hadn't rejected or accepted his feelings. Even now, with the soft brush of fingers on his cheek, he didn't respond. What was the kid thinking? Was he not sure how to reject Roy nicely? As Ed had reacted to Roy's confession, Ed's reaction to the touch was to turn to alcohol. He picked up the bottle and drank directly from it, taking a long swig. Roy raised an eyebrow, and was impressed by Ed's endurance, although worried that the kid was drinking too much. Ed smacked the bottle onto the end table, and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Right," Ed murmured to himself, grimacing. "That was terrible."

Despite himself, Roy smiled, once more amused. "I'm sorry I made you do that."

Ed sighed, took a couple steps backward, and fell onto the couch. "Don't be sorry," he said with a dismissive wave of his hand, "It's not you." Roy watched Ed for a moment longer. Strong, fierce, stubborn, brilliant, and absolutely _sexy_. He decided to take his chances again, determined to get Ed's response. He stood up and sat down next to Ed. He took the hand beside him, warm and soft. Ed didn't respond. He just sat there, hand limp, neither pushing Roy away nor squeezing back. Roy turned his head to examine Ed's expression. His eyebrows were furrowed in something akin to pain, and his eyes were closed, his face up to the ceiling. His pouty lips begged for Roy to lean in and kiss them.

He couldn't see why that could be a bad idea. He leaned over and placed his lips gently on Ed's. Ed still didn't respond. He didn't kiss back. He didn't tell Roy to go away. He just sat there, completely passive, letting Roy kiss him. Roy decided to give him a little incentive, and his free hand passed the space between them, and landed in Ed's lap, gently rubbing a very sensitive organ.

Ed felt the hand invading his personal space, giving him pleasure. He felt the lips against his own, the tongue prodding his lips, hoping for a response. He tore himself apart, unable to tell Roy to go away because he wanted this so much... but he couldn't encourage Roy. Neither of them were thinking right. Would Roy regret this in the morning? The longer Roy kissed and groped him though, the more he felt he needed to do _something_, and that small voice that told him they might regret this was slowly being drowned out by the alcohol taking effect and the hand gently squeezing his now raging hard on.

Ed gathered the remains of his courage and pressed against Roy's lips with bruising force, parting his lips to allow that talented tongue into his mouth. Roy returned the vigorous response with just as much enthusiasm. Ed pulled his flesh hand out from under Roy's, and sat forward so he'd have room to reach around and grab Roy's hair firmly. Roy rewarded the motion by fumbling with unfastening Ed's pants. He made quick work of it and stuck his hand into Ed's pants. Ed inhaled sharply through his nose. The hand rubbed his head, and stroked him firmly once - twice - three times -

Ed broke the kiss, and whispered with their lips centimeters apart, "Roy. I-" He stopped and swallowed, not sure what he wanted to say. Did he want to fuck? Did he just want release? Roy didn't stop moving his hand, working wonders, and thoroughly distracting Ed.

Breath ghosting on Ed's cheeks, Roy whispered, "I got laid tonight, Ed. I'm going to assume you didn't." Ed wordlessly shook his head, no. Roy smirked and said, "I don't need to get laid twice in one night. You, on the other hand, deserve that much, at least." Ed was about to protest weakly, but Roy asked, "When was the last time you got laid?" Ed swallowed, mouth dry. "Never, I'm assuming." Ed didn't argue, so Roy asked, "The last time you relieved yourself?"

Ed answered breathlessly, cheeks flaring hotly, "This morning."

Roy whispered, "I can make you orgasm at least three times in an hour." Still his hand continued moving, picking up its pace, squeezing in all the right places, slowly becoming slick with precum. What Roy proposed sounded like pure bliss... and a never ending torture at the same time. "How would you like me to go about your first?" Ed couldn't formulate an appropriate response between the hand in his pants and the alcohol. Roy chuckled at Ed's heightened breath. "Let's at least take off your pants." He took away his hand, and Ed fumbled to help him tug the leather pants from his hips.

Moments later, he stood in front of the couch, exposed to Roy's voracious gaze. Roy took Ed's hips and sat the blond down in his lap. A strange jolt of pleasure shot through his groin when he felt Roy's erection press against his ass through Roy's pants. Roy reached around him and explained, "It's easier for me this way." He grasped Ed's erection like he would his own and began pumping.

The pleasure blinded Ed to everything else. He squirmed under Roy's actions, unable to keep a moan from tearing from his throat. Roy reached around with his other hand and gently grasped Ed's balls, simultaneously squeezing the base of Ed's erection. Ed tossed his head back onto Roy's shoulder, blindly reaching out for something to grasp. He grabbed Roy's hair, and with his other hand grasped the fabric of his shirt.

Roy murmured in Ed's ear, "I want you to moan, Ed. It's incredibly sexy." Ed closed his eyes at the sound of Roy's husky voice, the meaning of the words not lost on him. Roy picked up the pace, earning another throaty moan. Ed couldn't help the noises that erupted from his mouth. Another movement over his head, and a swift but firm downward stroke made him shake with need for release. He bucked helplessly into Roy's hands, earning a breathless chuckle from the man beneath him. Roy turned his head, continuing with his hand job, and whispered into Ed's ear, "I want to know everything that turns you on, Ed, so that when we finally get to fuck," he accented this word by rolling his own hips into Ed's, "I can make it the _sexiest_, hottest, most pleasurable sex you've ever had."

Ed swallowed and had the presence of mind to spit out breathlessly, "I've never had sex before, bastard."

Roy squeezed hard again, earning another moan, and whispered, "Then we can make it the hottest sex _I've _ever had."

"That's all you ever care about, bastaaah," he began to hiss, but was interrupted by a deft trick of pale fingers, and sweet lips kissing his neck, and trailing up to his ear. His senses overloaded for a moment. Pleasure turned the whole world white. His back arched, and his breath caught in the back of his throat as the heat uncoiled between his legs. Roy kept pumping, milking Ed of every last drop. Moments later, Ed turned boneless, and he slumped on Roy again.

Roy chuckled. "That was rather abrupt."

Ed found the passageway to his lungs again and allowed himself to breathe. He murmured sluggishly, "It's your fault." He apparently didn't feel the need to elaborate, and scooted off Roy's lap to sit down bare-assed on the couch. Roy smirked at the blond next to him, and looked him up and down. He'd made a fine mess with his cum, and if it wasn't cleaned up soon, it was going to leave an embarrassing stain on the carpet and on Roy's pants. The couch was white anyway. He reached for the tissues on the coffee table and began to wipe up what he could.

"Well, that was fun," he observed, and looked up at Ed. The blond was most definitely asleep, slumped over the arm of the couch, metal arm pillowing his head. Roy would have been disappointed, except that Ed looked absolutely adorable. He chuckled, chalked the sleep up to the alcohol, and decided to situate Ed so that he could sleep comfortably. No matter how many times Roy knocked something over or picked up Ed's limbs and head, Ed refused to wake up. So Roy pulled on his boxers for him - which had come off with the pants - and tossed a blanket over the boy. Then he sat in the lounge chair and poured himself one last drink for the night.

* * *

Before Ed even opened his eyes, he knew he felt like shit. His stomach clenched and churned, and a dull ache formed in the back of his skull. His mouth was dry, and he felt gross in general, like he hadn't showered after a really sweaty workout. When he opened his eyes, the movement felt sluggish, like his eyelids were swollen. The cushions beneath him told him he wasn't home, and the wall of cushion to his left told him he was lying on a couch. He could remember the previous night, but it didn't mean something hadn't happened after he fell asleep.

He turned his head and spotted Roy. The man was sitting in his lounge chair, his head resting backward, exposing his throat. Between his legs, he rested his hand, and between his fingers was a sideways glass. In his other hand, over the arm of the chair, rested on top of an open book, his pinky trapped beneath it. His chest rose and fell evenly, and he thankfully didn't snore. The sound surely would have made Ed kill someone. Sunlight shone through the windows, stabbing his eyeballs.

He pushed himself up and swung his legs over the side of the couch, tossing the blanket to the side. His stomach clenched again, and he buried his face in his hands, his elbows against his knees. First of all, he felt like shit. Secondly, what had he been _thinking_ last night? He suppressed a groan. What was the standard protocol for something like this? Wake him up and say sorry and goodbye and oh by the way let's not mention this to anyone, last night was a mistake? More importantly, had it been a mistake in the first place? They'd both been drunk... but Ed knew he'd felt that way about Roy for a long time. It was Roy's feelings he wasn't so sure of. He wasn't sure he wanted to confront that at the moment.

On the other hand, he was supposed to call Al that morning. He'd promised to since he cut their conversation short the night before. He peered through his fingers, and lifted his head up. He wasn't going to get anything done by sitting there. Despite his churning stomach, he was starving. He also felt incredibly greasy and stale and stiff. The question remained: where to take care of these issues? Was it his right to use Roy's house? Did he want to be there when Roy woke up?

He found a clock on the mantlepiece above the fireplace and found it was well past noon. His first order of business was to call Alphonse. It didn't matter if Roy didn't want him touching shit, or if he was still there when Roy woke up. Alphonse was his first priority, always. He glanced around and found the telephone in the corner of the room.

He stood and approached the phone, feeling a little better when he moved around. He glanced at Roy to make sure he didn't wake him, and dialed Al's number. It rang once, and even then, it was cut off halfway. Al greeted the phone eagerly, "Hello? Brother?"

Ed smiled despite himself and whispered, "Hey, Al."

"Oh my goodness, brother!" Al exclaimed, making Ed wince in misery. "I thought something terrible happened to you! You're never this late in calling me. What's wrong? What's going on? Why are you whispering?" Each word drilled painful holes into Ed's brain and he wanted to smack his forehead against the wall in frustration, but that would only serve to hurt him more.

He answered quietly, "I have to be quiet. Everything's fine. I'm sorry I called so late and that I cut our conversation short last night, but I really don't have time to talk right now. I just wanted to tell you that I'm fine and that I plan on getting back to you today. We - I'm a little tied up at the moment." He glanced back at Roy, who was absolutely still. Somehow, that didn't seem right. Suspicious, but not sure why since it appeared the man was asleep, he kept his eye on Roy.

Al chided him, "You can't keep putting this conversation off, brother. I really-"

"Not now," Ed hissed, "I can get the you-need-a-girlfriend talk later, when I don't have to worry about waking anyone up."

"Who are you with?" Al asked, more confused than anything, "Who would be asleep at this hour?"

"I was, until just a few minutes ago," Ed snapped into the phone, daring to take his eyes off of Roy to glare at the phone, as if it could carry the message to his brother miles away. It wasn't Al's fault, but it felt good to be angry at someone about something. He heard Al sigh impatiently on the other end, but didn't let him speak. "I really do have to go."

Al replied, "Whatever. I expect a full explanation."

Ed's smile returned. "Thanks for worrying about me." With that, he hung up and turned around to find Roy watching him sleepily, smugly smirking like the smarmy bastard he was. Ed crossed his arms and glared openly at his commanding officer. "Bite me," he snapped before the elder could say a thing. Roy raised both of his eyebrows, smirk falling a little, but not quite gone. He raised his hands in a universal sign of surrender, and still said nothing. Ed's scowl deepened.

"How much of that did you hear?"

Roy shrugged, looking amused and smug still, and rested his chin in his palm, his elbow on the arm of the chair. "How do you feel?" he asked pleasantly enough. His voice was rough from the scotch and the disuse of sleep. Ed glared at him firmly. Roy got the message and grinned despite himself. "The withdrawal of alcohol. Hangovers. I hear orange juice helps." He watched Ed for a long moment, and then let his eyes trail over Ed's body, clearly checking him out. It didn't help Ed's mood.

"_Bite me_," Ed repeated, teeth gritted in fury. His head pounded.

Roy's smirk returned tenfold and purred, "Anywhere you'd like me to." Ed rolled his eyes, and made a disgusted sound in the back of his throat. He wanted to make a comment about how much of a pig Roy was, but his stomach lurched. Every possible sentence that could have passed through his lips fled from his mind. His right hand moved to his stomach, a useless gesture, and his other covered his mouth.

Roy's smirk disappeared and he shot to his feet. He grabbed the small garbage pail he kept near the coffee table and dumped out all the paper in it, quickly handing the pail to Ed, and leading him to sit on the couch. Seated and with something to vomit in, Ed tried to calm his stomach. He hadn't thrown up in years. He turned an evil glare to Roy, who smiled apologetically. "I fuckin' hate you," Ed grumbled, and his stomach lurched again. He swung his head around, and felt hands pull back his bangs while he deposited the remains of his late dinner into the garbage pail.

He heard Roy say, "...surprised you didn't throw up last night... bottle's almost empty..." but his attention was mostly focused on not missing the pail. The convulsions ceased, and he leaned back, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand. Roy patted his shoulder and stood up, leaving for the only other room on this floor.

Ed took the moment alone to think. At the very least, Roy didn't seem repulsed by what happened. In fact, he seemed like he was almost glad it had happened, and had even made an innuendo. Not that that was entirely new. The only problem now was confirming Roy's feelings... and he wasn't quite sure if he was glad about what had happened, either. Could he risk a relationship, on the off chance that things might turn out well? It seemed like things were happening without him.

Roy returned with a glass of water and another of orange juice, and a white hand towel. He gave Ed the hand towel and placed both glasses on the coffee table within reach. Ed snatched the glass of water and drank from it gratefully. Roy watched with a sort of detached amusement as Ed quenched his dire thirst. He'd been able to think a little bit himself, and he had to wonder if he'd been out of line earlier. He decided to leave the teasing and innuendos for later.

"You can use my shower," he offered.

Ed bounced to his feet. "Great, thanks." He headed for the stairs immediately.

"Next floor up, straight ahead," Roy described quickly. Ed was gone in moments. Roy sighed and glanced around the room. Somehow it had seemed much more cluttered the night before... Fondly, he remembered Ed in his lap, bucking helplessly... The thought shot a pang of pleasure through him, but it passed as he was pressed with more important things. Like cleaning out the garbage pail, putting the scotch away, bringing Ed's pants upstairs, taking a shower himself, maybe making breakfast if his stomach stopped complaining... The list went on.

He stood up and got to work. All the while, he nursed his headache, and tried to think of a way through this afternoon without destroying his relationship with Edward. At the very least, Ed didn't seem entirely disturbed by what had happened. That was good. On the other hand, he did seem a little upset about something... He climbed the stairs with Ed's pants in his hands, remembering the creak of leather and heavy breathing as they pulled the fabric from Ed's toned thigh, the opposite one metal. Automail was surprisingly sexy. And Ed's firm ass in his lap... a freaking godsend.

He knocked on the bathroom door, and listened intently for a moment. Ed snapped, "What the hell do you want, bastard? I'm trying to figure out your shower, and I don't want you to come in." In other words, he was confused (therefore angry) and naked. Roy smirked in amusement, despite himself. Ed was always a handful.

He replied, "I have your pants. I'll leave them out here, by the door." He folded them, but he'd never been very good at the action, so it was sloppy. Then he dropped them beside the door and hesitantly looked at the sight. It didn't look like he'd tried very hard. He sighed, irritated at himself for caring, picked the pants up, and rolled them. It looked much neater, placed gently beside the wall. Shaking his head at himself, he climbed up more stairs to get to his room, and therefore his personal bathroom.

With acute knowledge on how the shower worked and where his soap was, he managed to rinse away the smell of sex and sweat and scotch, and remove the grease from his hair much faster than Ed. When he got out of the shower, he dressed in loose pants and his usual cotton button up, not bothering to button it to the top. He took the stairs two at a time, rolling his sleeves up neatly to his elbows. He passed by the bathroom Ed was using, heard the water turning off, and noticed the pants missing. He allowed himself a smirk, and went back down into the living room.

Once there, he found a clean room, and he felt clean, and he was wearing clean clothes... He felt much better, even if his head still ached and his stomach occasionally flipped. He was rather familiar with the feeling, though, so he could almost count it as a comfort. He grabbed the blanket Ed used, put it away, and plopped down onto the couch. He liked that couch. It was comfortable. He drank some orange juice, closed his eyes and allowed himself a small smile.

It was then that he heard Ed stomping down the stairs. He regained his composure, and sipped from the glass again. It tasted good, if nothing else. Ed's trek down the stairs ended swiftly, and he came to stop in Roy's line of sight. Roy appraised him with his eyes, but decided that he didn't want to step on Ed's toes, so kept it quick. Ed was _really _sexy, shirtless in his leather pants. His hair had been put up into a wet ponytail. He wasn't frowning, either, but looked pretty serious.

The blond crossed his arms and assumed an impatient pose. "Good morning," Roy greeted him calmly.

Ed drummed his fingers on his arm. "It's a little late for that."

Roy smiled grimly. "Said the man who said 'bite me' first thing this morning."

"Afternoon," Ed corrected him bitterly.

Roy shrugged. "It is what it is." He drank from his glass of orange juice, and watched Ed in his peripherals. Ed's position did not change. He just stood there with his arms crossed. Clearly, he was waiting for something. Roy put down his glass and clasped his hands in his lap. "Do you need something?" he asked politely.

Ed answered curtly, "Yes. I want to know if you meant it."

Roy raised both eyebrows. "Whether or not I love you, you mean. Of course I do."

Ed's countenance faltered for a moment, but returned to fierce determination. "And you don't care about what happened last night." Said like a statement, but it was a question. They watched each other intently for a long moment, while Roy's flippant demeanor slowly slid away. Ed's heart hammered as he waited, unable to read Roy. It made his head hurt more.

"I wouldn't say that," Roy replied nonchalantly, leaning back in his seat. "I care about what happens to me, about what happens to you, what happens to us." He turned his eyes from his potential life partner and looked at the orange juice he'd put down. He finished quietly, "Do I regret it? That's a different question. And no, I do not." He looked back up and smiled. "I'd like to pretend we'd both done that while sober and thinking straight."

Ed tapped his foot halfway through that last sentence, feeling restless. "So you want to have a relationship." Their gazes locked and Roy nodded, a miniscule gesture. "Even though," Ed added, almost in a warning tone, "I'm your volatile subordinate." Roy's expression didn't change, so Ed continued, "Even though you won't be able to have sex with anyone but me until you die." A small smile formed on Roy's lips, so Ed pushed, "Even though I'm a liability to your ambitions." Roy's smile widened bit by bit, as Ed threw out every reason Roy and he wouldn't work, and every expectation he had from their relationship.

"Yes," Roy interrupted at some point, "Yes. That's what I want, Ed."

Ed sighed, seemingly deflating at the words, a dazed sort of expression overwhelming his features. "If none of that bothers you, then I guess..." he trailed off, wondering what he wanted himself. But that was a stupid question, so he sat down next to Roy and met his gaze evenly. "I think..." he tried again, but the words failed to pass his lips. How could it be so hard to say _I love you_? Roy's eyes danced with amusement as Ed failed with words, so Ed reached for Roy's collar and pulled him into a kiss.

This was what their first kiss should have been. Slight traces of mint from when they'd both brushed their teeth, not traces of scotch they'd both drank. Roy broke from Ed's liplock and whispered, "Does this mean I actually have a Valentine this year?" Ed scoffed, but otherwise didn't say anything, and leaned in to kiss Roy again. Valentine's Day... It reminded him of Al, though... He pushed the thought aside. He'd called already. Al knew he was alright. He could call later.


	2. Chapter 2

Ed trudged through the miserable weather with a firm scowl on his face. The snow was knee deep, and the wind buffeted his face and pushed him backward. He pushed back, though, and managed to keep moving in the biting cold and through the wind that stung his eyes. Despite this terrible weather, he was still expected to report into Central Command after his latest assignment. "Fuckin' ass holes," he grumbled under his breath, behind him dragging his suitcase on wheels. Central Command was on the way back to his apartment anyway.

Even though he sounded angry, and had to traverse this horrible icy terrain, he couldn't help but feel excited. It hadn't been too long ago since Valentine's Day, when he and Roy finally confronted each other over a bottle of scotch. Not even a day after this "confrontation," Roy had been forced to send Ed out on an assignment that no one else could complete. And since then, they hadn't been able to talk. Ed felt the excitement bubble up in his chest, along with the apprehension. Now that Roy had time to sort things out alone, would he have changed his mind? More importantly, when would they be able to see each other alone?

Ultimately, that was what drove Ed to go into the office. To see Roy. In any other situation, he'd avoid the office like the plague. If he wasn't so excited to see Roy again, he would have just gone home and use the weather as an excuse to not come in. As he walked and Central Command came into view, he felt movement in his automail begin to restrict. A joint in his shoulder had frozen over.

Scowling, he hopped up the white stairs, trying to avoid the icy spots. He burst inside the building, and warmth swirled around his ankles and red tipped nose and cheeks. Glad to be inside, he left his suitcase by the front door and hurried past the other soldiers, disgruntled from the weather. He found the stairs quickly, and practically ran to Roy's office, only slowing once he reached the top of the stairs so that no one would give him strange looks. Even then, he felt antsy, and couldn't stop from impatiently tapping his report against his leg.

Finally, he reached Roy's office. He slammed the doors open, and found the outer office filled with the usual company. Havoc sat with his signature cigarette hanging from his mouth and reading the paper, and Breda munching on some food while he actually did some work. Fury was intensely focused on a little wire contraption that Ed had no interest in. Hawkeye looked up from her own desk, expression blank as always. She looked Ed up and down and raised a curious eyebrow.

Ed paid them all no mind and sauntered over to the inner office door, flinging it open with his usual disregard for Roy's space. Inside was firelit, bookshelves lining the wall, except for the large window behind Roy's desk - a desk, which was currently serving the same function as a bed or pillow. Ed approached Roy's desk, slapped his report on the desk, and plopped onto the couch. Roy's head snapped up as the report landed next to his head and he blinked tiredly before spotting Ed on the leather couch opposite him.

"Fullmetal," he greeted the blond, straightening his uniform and picking up the report that had woken him up. "You're back," he observed, scanning over the chicken scratch Ed called handwriting. On the other side of the desk, on the couch, Ed drummed his fingers on his thigh impatiently. He didn't want to talk about his stupid mission. He wanted some sort of subtle hint or promise to see each other later, hopefully at Roy's place. "I'm surprised you didn't burn the place down."

Ed rolled his eyes. "Burning's your specialty, bastard, not mine."

Roy placed the report back down and couldn't help but smirk at Ed. "It doesn't restrict others from using it." He leaned back and folded his hands in his lap, brain finally kicking into gear. Ed was back. Right. He met Ed's gaze and informed him easily, "A visitor stopped by yesterday, asking for your whereabouts. You were gone, so I took the liberty of giving Al permission to go into your apartment."

Ed bit back without thinking, "It's not yours; you can't give other people permission to use my apartment." Despite the words that flew off his lips, he was really thinking of the implications. Al was at Ed's apartment, waiting for him. More likely than not, Ed and Roy wouldn't be able to spend time together during Al's visit. It would garner too many questions from Al, and currently their relationship had to be a secret.

Ed crossed his arms as Roy replied without missing a beat, "What's done is done, Fullmetal. I didn't think you'd be so picky about your personal space, particularly with Alphonse. If I knew any better, I'd say you somehow got a real life. A girlfriend maybe?" Ed glowered at him as he spoke. He knew Roy was going to be a bastard at work still, but he hadn't expected the man to tease him about his love life.

"It's none of your business if I have a girlfriend or not," Ed snapped.

Roy raised both of his eyebrows, although his mirth was not lost on his guest. "Judging by your sensitive reaction, I'd say you tried and couldn't get one."

"I could get a girl if I wanted!" Ed shouted, jumping to his feet.

"That remains to be seen," Roy replied smoothly, trying to suppress a smirk.

"Ugh!" Ed grunted, spinning on his heel and stomping away. "Go fuck yourself, bastard!"

* * *

Ed, still aggravated from his 'argument' with Roy, kicked the front door a couple of times to knock the snow off his boots. Mumbling incoherently and grumpily to himself, he swung the door open, stomped inside and closed the door behind him. He didn't look around the living room for his brother. Somehow, it seemed completely natural to find an extra set of shoes by the front door, and hear someone bustling about in the kitchen. It was like Al never left.

He kicked off his own shoes, left his suitcase by the door, and announced his presence with, "I fucking hate that bastard!" He plopped down on the couch, slouching so extremely that it almost hurt. Al came in from the kitchen, an apron on, a soap covered fork between his hands. He smiled down at Ed as he continued to clean it.

"That sounds familiar," Al remarked.

Ed grinned up at Al, his bad mood relieved since he could actually see Al - handsome, silver-eyed, with his real flesh body back. He couldn't resent his brother for being taller. He responded with a quick, "Thanks for washing the dishes, Al."

Al laughed. "Wow, brother. You'd think I never left."

Ed shrugged and sat up, leaning forward to grab a book on the coffee table in front of him. He thought about starting a fire in the fireplace on the other side of the coffee table, but decided it was too much effort, and put his feet on the table before leaning back again and reading the book he'd picked up. Al shook his head and walked away to finish whatever he was doing in the kitchen. Ed bit the inside of his cheek as he wondered why Al had showed up without warning him ahead of time.

Al came back into the room and he flipped the page to make it look like he was actually reading. The couch shifted beside him and he was all too aware of Al sitting next to him, completely silent. Ed's patience snapped quickly and he put the book down, asking, "Do you need help in the kitchen, Al?" He rose to his feet, but Al grabbed his wrist and pulled him hard back onto the couch. Ed landed softly on the couch and frowned at his brother. The stern look on Al's face kept him from saying anything or protesting, though.

"We need to talk, brother," Al said. Ed mentally groaned, and winced when Al's hand tightened around his wrist. It didn't really hurt, but he couldn't help feeling sensitive. "I've been thinking since you called me on Valentine's Day." Ed clenched and unclenched his jaw in apprehension, meeting Al's inscrutable gaze. "You've been behaving strangely. At first I thought it was because you were lonely or sexually frustrated -" Ed groaned dismally as the word "sexually" left his brother's lips "- but after that peculiar call on Valentine's Day, I'm certain it's just the opposite. I came here to get information, Ed, and to meet whoever this person is, who sleeps until noon." Ed tried to stand again to get away, but was jerked back onto the couch again.

He glowered at the fireplace, angry at himself for getting into this predicament. He turned his sour look to Al, who retaliated with determination and firmness. Ed sighed and turned his face up to the ceiling. What could he say? 'I'm sleeping with Roy Mustang' didn't explain the situation very well. Did Al even know he wasn't straight? He searched the ceiling for answers and found none.

"I have all the time in the world," Al said patiently.

"I don't know what to tell you, Al," Ed said at last with a shrug.

"Just tell me the truth," Al pleaded. His tone made Ed glad he wasn't looking at Al because it meant he was using those puppy eyes, and damn if Ed didn't cave in every time he saw those adorable, begging eyes. Apparently the tone brought up enough memories to make Ed cave in anyway.

He mumbled unhappily, "I can't tell you." He didn't have to look at Al to know how he was going to react. The silence was enough. It was uncomfortable. It didn't even take five seconds for Ed to squirm uncomfortably. He sat up again and picked up the book. He didn't open it, though. He just played with the pages for a moment.

"You can't tell me anything? Not a name? A workplace? Hair color? Not one hint?"

Ed felt those scrutinizing eyes on his back and felt the need to get up or pace or run away or punch something. He bounced his leg and stared at his hands. It wasn't a matter of Al accepting the relationship, really. It was just a secret that was too dangerous for Roy's career. Ed trusted Al with everything, but somehow, it just didn't seem like this was his secret to tell. Not when Roy would end up with most of the repercussions.

"Remember when," Ed began slowly, rotating the books in his hands, "we were kids? Winry had a secret and you were keeping it from me. I kept bugging you and bugging you about it, but you wouldn't give in. Do you remember that?" Al hummed a reluctant affirmative. "It's kind of like that. Yes, it is my personal life, but it's not just mine. It's someone else's too, and frankly, I don't feel like breaking that confidentiality."

"Is it alright if I ask them about it?" Al asked slowly.

Ed gave his brother a frank look. "I'd have to tell you who it is."

Al suggested eagerly, "Then call and ask if it's alright to tell me."

Ed sighed in exasperation. "It's not that simple, Al. He's busy right now and-"

"So it _is_ a man!" Al exclaimed, evidently very pleased with himself.

Ed, on the other hand, was embarrassed and disappointed he'd let it slip. "I'm not saying anything else on the subject," he grumbled and got to his feet. He'd only really had an argument with Al a handful of times, but never when they couldn't somehow get some space from each other. He couldn't exactly leave the apartment with the snow piling as high as it was, and he didn't want to lock himself in his room for the rest of the night when he hadn't eaten since lunch, which had been a meager portion of food that the train had provided.

With that thought, his eyes landed on his suitcase. Glad for the excuse to go to his room, he grabbed the heavy thing and dragged it away. He closed the door behind him without a word to his brother and slowly began to put his things away. It didn't take very long, since he liked to pack light. Suitcase empty, he plopped onto his bed and closed his eyes. What could he say to Al...?

No sooner than he thought this did he hear the phone ring, a shrill unhappy sound. Ed hopped onto his feet and hurried to answer it. It rang a second time and he frowned when it stopped halfway through. He listened intently as he heard Al in the living room say into the phone, "Alphonse speaking... General Mustang. What a surprise... right, Brigadier General. You know, Ed mentioned you when he came home today. I thought he'd continue to send reports in to a Colonel... I didn't think he was such a handful."

Ed gritted his teeth together. What was Roy lying about now? "I assume you want to talk to Edward... Oh. Well, that's unexpected. What do you want?" Ed pressed his ear harder against the door, wishing he could hear Roy's end. "No, he seemed pretty reluctant to tell me anything about his boyfriend... Oh, well, that was an accident. Maybe I shouldn't have told you that much... Excuse me, sir, but what do you know about Ed's boyfriend? It's the reason I came up here and... I would, but I'm afraid he wouldn't believe me. You should tell him yourself... Okay. Ed!"

Ed grimaced and opened the door. Al held out the phone for him to take. Ed approached cautiously and took it from Al, watching his little brother suspiciously. He put the phone to his ear and said, "Hello?"

"Fullmetal. Tell Alphonse. Just do it. There's noth-" Ed slammed the phone down before Roy could finish what he had to say. What the hell did Roy want Ed to say? 'I'm sleeping with my boss.' Yeah, that would go over well. He crossed his arms, scowling, and tapped his foot while he tried to think his way out of telling Al. He glanced over at his brother, who was sitting on the couch, going through the books on the coffee table. Wasn't it obvious already who Ed's partner was?

Ed walked around the coffee table and plopped down with a loud exhalation, garnering Al's attention. Before Al could speak, though, Ed said, "I can't tell you. It's too embarrassing."

"Will you tell me that I'm right if I guess correctly?" Al asked. Ed shrugged, not looking at Al. He couldn't stand to look at his brother's face when he found out... "I'll start with something easy." Ed almost burst out asking what the hell 'easy' meant. "Is it General Mustang?"

Ed jumped out of his seat when he heard the unexpected name and spluttered, "Wha- Who -" He stood up and faced his brother. "Really, Al? If you knew, you should have just said so!" Al blinked a few times, his eyes wide. He had figured Roy's and Ed's relationship was too volatile to be romantic, but he was utterly wrong. He'd meant 'easy' as in definitely not possible, but... "Jeez!" Ed huffed and fell backward onto the couch again.

"Lucky guess," Al mumbled to himself.

Ed looked at him. "Did you say something, Al?"

Al shook his head vehemently. "No. So is General Must-" he stopped himself, wondering at the appropriate name to call Roy, and corrected himself, "-err, I mean, is Roy coming to our house for the holidays or...?" He watched Ed's face carefully. He had hoped Ed would be able to bring a special someone home once in a while, but it seemed like the relationship was supposed to be a secret. It made sense, if Roy was trying to become Fuhrer. To his surprise, Ed seemed nonplussed by the question and simply shrugged.

"Dunno. Doesn't matter to me," he answered. He glanced over to Al. "So are you leaving tomorrow, since you found your answer?"

Al frowned. "I wanted to meet him."

"But you _know_ Mustang," Ed contended, more confused than anything.

"Then I'll meet him again," Al decided aloud. "I need to make sure he isn't a creep. He _did_ watch you grow up, brother. The age difference is a little... significant."

Ed stared blankly at Al, then rose to his feet wordlessly and locked himself in his room, unable to come up with an appropriate response.

Thus, Ed found himself standing in a restaurant, trying not to groan as a semi formally dressed Roy shook hands with Al after a brief, forced introduction from Ed. He waited as patiently as he knew how, until the two most influential men in his life _finally_ decided to sit down. Grateful that things were moving along at last, Ed plopped down in his chair. He picked at the tablecloth while his brother and his boyfriend made small talk from across the table.

He hated this place, this situation. The stupid restaurant was much classier than himself and he didn't really want to be there. He'd rather eat at a pub or a family restaurant... not one of these expensive, tiny-dish-serving places with too many decorations and weird rules where only rich people have dinner to show off or do business... He stared up at the white blank ceiling, and wondered what would happen if he threw eggs at the ceiling, just to mar the perfect blankness.

"Ed, why don't you tell Al how we first met?" Roy requested. Ed sighed.

"You know how we met, Al," he grumbled unhappily.

"How we met outside of work," Roy clarified.

Ed lifted his head and gave Roy a frank look. Roy raised both of his eyebrows expectantly, and Ed looked to Al, who was watching him with polite curiosity. He sighed and answered quickly, "I got lost in town after you called me on Valentine's, and I bumped into Roy. He had his pants undone and was sneaking away from a girl he'd shagged." He watched Roy's lip quirk in amusement, and Al's eyebrows furrow for a moment.

Roy decided to interject here, and said to Al, "I can always count on Ed to tell it straight."

Al glanced at Ed, who was once more staring at the ceiling. He turned his attention back to Roy and returned the smile. "He's a little stubborn, though." Roy chuckled at the observation, but the conversation was interrupted by a waitress. She sauntered over to their table with a little swing in her wide hips, and a great big pretty smile.

"May I take your orders?" she asked glancing around the table. Her eyes locked last with Roy and she bit her bottom lip when they did. He kept his eyes firmly on hers, and away from her breasts, which were hard _not _to look at with such a tight shirt and the plunging neckline. Ed didn't notice the exchange, but continued to stare up at the ceiling. Al, on the other hand, watched intensely.

Roy smiled at her and didn't even bat an eye before stating his order. She looked away briefly so she could write it down, and glanced back up at him, only to find he was looking at Ed, saying, "Ed, what do you want?" Ed perked up and listed off three things from the menu, earning a strange look from the waitress. She tried locking gazes again with Roy between Ed's and Al's orders, but once more found he was looking at Ed, and laughingly commenting on Ed's appetite.

Forcing a smile, because honestly she was irritated at Roy's behavior, her eyes flickered to Al, who ordered his meal with his own dashing smile. She said cheerfully, "Alright. I'll be back with your food." She turned around and sauntered away, giving her hips a little more swing in case Roy was looking. In fact, Roy was not looking at her, but at Al.

"You'd think they'd give the waitresses a dress code," Al commented, more under his breath than to his companions.

Roy smirked. "I've seen better." Al raised both of his eyebrows and gave Roy a hard look. Ed noticed the exchange and frowned. That just looked like strike one. But what were they talking about?

Confused, Ed asked, "Why? What was she wearing?"

Al blinked at Ed in surprise. "You didn't notice her cleavage _at all_?"

Ed shrugged. "I saw it. So?"

Roy chuckled and explained simply, "So she was dressed inappropriately. That's all."

"But Al gave you that look-" Ed began.

"I didn't give him a look," Al said indignantly.

"But-"

"I didn't see a look," Roy agreed with Al. Ed glanced between the men helplessly. He'd definitely missed something. Sighing, he gave up and faced the ceiling again. This time, however, he didn't want to be out of the loop, so he kept his ears open. Roy chuckled again.

"So how did playboy Roy Mustang fall in love with my brash brother?" Al asked, tone conversational, but the very content of the question betraying his suspicious nature. Ed's gut reaction was to defend Roy, but something held him in place. Something kept his jaw shut, his face to the ceiling. He was curious. How _did_ Roy fall in love with him? He wasn't exactly perfect...

Roy hummed thoughtfully, and Ed wondered if Roy wouldn't just lie about it to make Al happy. Slowly, Roy began his explanation. "I wasn't in love with Edward when I first met him. He was eleven - I _have _a conscience. I wasn't even in love when he turned eighteen." He paused and Ed wished he knew what the man was doing, but he didn't dare show interest in the conversation or Roy might change his story.

Roy continued, "But I guess that was when I realized he was an adult. A mature person, and all that the word implies." Ed almost smiled, but Roy remained solemn and polite as he spoke. "The rest of this story is long. Would you care for an abridged version?" Al hummed an affirmative, so Roy said, "Simply, after realizing Ed was indeed mature, I became more aware of him and his... body." He stopped there, and Ed felt something brush against his arm. He turned his head and found the waitress handing out their drinks, smiling widely at Roy, and walking away after a curt exchange. His lip twitched and he looked back up at the ceiling.

Roy sipped from his glass of water before continuing, "I never really intended on pursuing him as a romantic interest, but fate has a strange way of biting me in the ass. I don't really know when it started, but some days I found myself missing him while he was away on a mission. That's when I realized what I felt for him. I didn't exactly give it a name until the day Edward mentioned earlier."

"So this isn't exactly a new emotion for you," Al observed quietly.

Ed could hear the forced smile in Roy's terse tone as he answered, "No; our relationship was not a hasty decision ruled by a bottle of scotch."

Al laughed politely, a clear ringing tone. "Ed didn't mention any scotch."

"Well, you didn't exactly ask to hear what happened _after_ Ed found me with my pants undone," Roy replied easily, earning a snort that was both amused and derisive. Ed held back his own laughter, but couldn't help the small twitch of his lip.

"Isn't it weird that he's so much younger than you? I mean, you watched him grow up."

The answer came without missing a beat. It almost sounded practiced, or like it had been composed very carefully and edited a thousand times so that it could be as concise and convincing as possible. "I did watch him grow up, but I think that's why it was effortless to fall in love with him. I've known him for years. I know what he's struggled with and who he really is _by_ watching him grow. I know that doesn't really make up for the age difference, but the age difference shouldn't matter; he's of legal age. He can decide to join the military or drink a beer, so he can decide who he wants to be with." He stopped himself abruptly and apologized softly, "I'm sorry; I was rambling."

"It's fine," Al replied, seemingly indifferent to the speech. "It's clearly something you've thought about."

"It's my job to be thorough," Roy responded smoothly.

Ed, getting impatient and no longer interested in the conversation, picked up his head and looked at Al and Roy. Al seemed unusually stiff, but that was explained by his overprotective nature. Hell, if Al had been involved with any other girl than Winry... Ed shuddered to think what he'd be like. So he understood Al's behavior, annoying as it was. Roy, on the other hand, was completely unreadable as always. His shoulders weren't tense or squared, and he didn't _look_ particularly stiff, but... was he uncomfortable? It was impossible to tell.

"Are you two girls done bickering?" Ed asked, irritation lacing his voice.

Al smiled at Ed, slowly becoming at ease. "Almost, brother. There's just one more thing I'm not so sure about." As he said this, he returned his gaze to Roy, the amusement in his eyes dying just a little and turning cunning. Roy sipped his water, completely unperturbed by whatever Al threw his way - partially because he knew what he wanted with Ed, and knew he wasn't doing anything wrong. More importantly, he knew he was a capable man and could accomplish anything he set his mind on.

Ed frowned. "What do you mean?" On cue, the waitress returned, this time beside Roy, hands full with their meals. She placed three of them in front of Ed, and the other two in their appropriate spots, making sure Roy had a great view of her breasts as he leaned over to hand out the food.

"Anything else I can get for you boys?" she asked, flashing a special smile to Roy.

"We're fine, thanks," Al told her with a polite smile. Her eyes trailed on Roy before she left.

Ed forgot about his earlier inquiry and began to eat, glad to find something actually worth coming here for. He was right about the tiny plates, and was pleased with his decision to get three plates of food - damn the money. He could pay for his portion. Still, he kept his ears out for Roy's and Al's conversation, hoping he could understand exactly what it was Al was "unsure" about.

Al whistled lowly. "Wow, Roy. She was practically shoving them in your face."

Roy smirked. "What can I say? I'm beautiful. I can't help it when others are attracted to me."

Al stabbed his salad with a fork. "But you know how to say 'no' to a woman, right? I know you're out of practice, so I'm sure Ed would cut you a little slack if you kissed a girl or something."

"There won't be a need," Roy assured Al with a pleasant smile. "I'm sure Ed will be more than enough to satisfy me." Al choked on his salad, but Roy was not disturbed. He just picked at his food and took a small bite. Ed glanced at the choking Al, finally understanding what Al was getting at. Roy was used to having woman after woman. Would he be faithful? And even if he intended on being faithful, _did_ he know how to say 'no' to a woman who was clearly coming on to him? Ed turned a cautious gaze to Roy. It had occurred to him before, but he'd always pushed the thought aside.

"You might still want to see other people, though," Al supposed, "to keep up pretenses at work."

Roy raised both of his eyebrows. "No, actually. It's common knowledge that I'm taken."

Ed blinked and asked through a mouthful of food, "It is?"

Roy smirked. "Yes, Ed. My new lover is a mystery, though. No one knows who it is. The only hint is that I've fallen madly in love." Ed swallowed, and blinked a couple times more. Roy was giving him a look that was impossible to decipher, except that it was _really_ hot. Not only that, but what Roy had said - 'fallen madly in love.' It surprised Ed. He'd never been a fan of incredibly romantic situations or words, but the implication that _Roy Mustang_ was completely smitten...

"You have yet to prove to me that you can keep your hands to yourself," Al interjected.

Roy looked away from Ed and to Al, smiling pleasantly once more. "I'm afraid I don't know how to convince you, Alphonse. You'll just have to trust me based on your own experience dealing with me." With that, he turned back to his meal and continued eating. Ed decided that was a good idea, and went back to his almost finished meal. Al did the same, figuring that Roy was right. Only time would tell. With the three of them eating, it left a silence between them that was tense and awkward, given the note Roy had left it on.

The waitress returned as Ed finished his meal and touched Roy's shoulder gently. "Are we all set over here?" Ed's eyes flickered over her hand, and finally figured out that she'd been particularly flirty with Roy, which added a layer of interest onto the conversation Roy and Al had. He watched with interest as Roy did not remove the hand or tell her to go away. Nor did he smile at her, or even look at her for that matter.

"Could we get the bill?" Al asked.

"Of course," she purred, and patted Roy's shoulder before walking away.

Roy reached for his napkin and blinked at it, nonplussed. "Smooth," he murmured before wiping his mouth with it, regardless of the number and name written in neat, angled, feminine handwriting. He put the napkin back down and Ed spotted the name and number as well. At least it didn't seem like Roy was interested in her, but it would be incredibly stupid of Roy to act interested while Ed or Al were present. Ed wouldn't want to spend the rest of his life with someone stupid. Al saw the number before both of them, and wondered what Roy would do if Ed and himself weren't there.

The waitress returned moments later, the bill in hand. Once more she touched Roy's shoulder, and Roy passively ignored her. Her lip twitched in irritation at being ignored, and turned away to leave. Roy pulled out money for his part of the meal, as did Ed. "I can pay for you, if you want, Al," Ed offered. Al agreed, and while they fumbled around with the numbers, Roy rose to his feet.

"I'll be right back," he promised. Al looked up and watched Roy suspiciously. Ed was none the wiser, figuring Roy just had to use the restroom. Roy stopped their waitress on her way into the kitchen. Al's eyebrows rose, and he tugged on Ed's sleeve. Ed looked at Al, saw Al's gaze fixed behind him, and turned around to see.

They couldn't hear what was being said, but Roy was speaking. The waitress's jaw fell in surprise, and then she said something brief. Roy didn't smile at her, not when she lightly touched his collar or smiled coyly. He took her hand and very purposefully placed it back at her side, earning a hurt expression. He continued to speak, and the hurt turned into mild unhappiness. She slapped him and walked away. Seemingly unfazed, he came back to the table and smiled at his companions. "Sorry about that. Are we ready to go?"

Ed stood and asked with a soft frown, "What did you say to her?"

Roy smiled wryly. "Something guaranteed to make a girl hate you. I learned it through an unfortunate friend, and its devastating effects never change. But never mind that. You and I have work in the morning and we need to get home." Ed hesitated, but let it go with a shrug. It didn't matter to him, as long as that girl left Roy alone now. Al followed the older men outside, and was surprised when he suddenly became the third wheel, while Ed and Roy immersed into conversation, talking about nothing in particular, but having fun all the same. That, more than his own interrogation, helped Al realize Ed was in good hands.


	3. Chapter 3

Ed exhaled loudly and stared up at the ceiling. This was the best part, lying in bed naked beside Roy. The part where everything became blissfully clear, and he was still incredibly sated. He could lay there forever, Roy asleep beside him, thinking about his life. Was it really only a month ago where he told himself that he hated thinking? That he stared up at the stars and his thoughts went in circles, thinking about what he could do with his feelings for Roy Mustang... He sighed contentedly.

Life was good, and he was well aware of that. A month ago, he'd been stuck in a rut, in a boring military routine, waiting for the day his contract ended or he was court martialed or honorably discharged. It seemed unreal that it was only a month ago. How could he have been so bored with his life? His contract was going to end soon. Almost too soon. A month ago he'd felt like he'd always be in the military, stuck obeying Roy's stupid orders. How could he have said that when the deadline was so near?

Every time he thought about leaving, his heart pounded in his chest and he couldn't breathe. He was finally breaking away, in just a few days' time. In only three days, he'd be free. No stupid regulations, no sneaking covert glances at Roy in the office between verbal jabs, no going away for weeks at a time to deal with assholes... Most importantly, no more lying or sneaking around. Finally, he and Roy could just be together. No more showing up late at night and leaving without being seen.

He turned his head and found Roy sleeping peacefully, loosely grasping Ed's automail hand. His dark hair fell just below his eyebrows, unkempt from their late romp. Ed's mind wandered from Roy's pale, unblemished skin and hard muscle, and onto their relationship. After the initial shock, and getting used to being in each others' space, he and Roy got along like bread and butter. Yes, Roy was an ass sometimes, and yes, Ed was prone to getting angry about stupid things, and they argued left and right, but somehow, it worked. They were used to arguing. To them, it wasn't such a devastating thing. It was almost routine. Almost therapeutic.

He couldn't help but smirk as he thought about the more inappropriate things they did well together. Ed was flexible and fairly creative, and Roy had experience and practice under his utility belt. Sex was amazing. He'd never really been insecure about his automail, but he couldn't have helped but wonder what Roy thought about his artificial limbs. Apparently, he didn't think one way or the other about them - they simply existed.

Slowly, he felt the clarity and satisfaction wearing away. He needed to call Al sometime the next morning. He had to go home before midnight so he could actually get some sleep and get to work at a reasonable hour. All these requirements weighed him down. He didn't want to move. Not when Roy was so warm next to him, and everything was so right, and so peaceful. Still, necessity brought him to sit up, take his hand away, and slip off the bed.

"Ed." Roy's soft, sleepy voice rang through the bedroom.

"Roy," Ed replied, not romantic, but a sarcastic joke. He pulled on his boxers, and rummaged around Roy's room for his pants in the dark. A sharp _snap_ later, and the fireplace was ablaze, lighting the room softly - enough that Ed could see better. He found what he was looking for and shoved his legs into his pants.

"Ed, we need to talk," Roy said softly. Ed scowled at the phrase and turned to face the bed to see Roy sitting up, blanket pooled around his hips. Ed wasn't an expert on relationships. This was his first, probably only, romantic one. Despite his ineptness, he knew that no one liked the phrase Roy just uttered, and there was probably a good reason for it. If Roy wanted to say something cheesy and romantic - which they both generally avoided - he would have just gone and said it. For some reason, Roy really wanted Ed to listen to what he had to say.

"Okay," Ed finally responded, snatching his shirt from the foot of the bed. "About?"

"Your contract," Roy inadequately explained.

Ed gave Roy a suspicious look. "I don't like where this is going."

"It's not the end of the world or our relationship. I promise," Roy assured Ed, smiling a bit. He watched Ed's shoulders drop as his apprehension disappeared. Confusion replaced suspicion, and the blond walked around the bed, shirt in his hands. He sat down cross legged at the foot of the bed, all of his attention on Roy.

Roy took a deep breath and said, "I want you to think about something for a moment. For multiple reasons, I told everyone in the office that I had a partner, but kept your identity a secret. Let's say your contract ends, and we just tell everyone that you're my secret partner. Sure, you wouldn't be my subordinate when everyone found out, but everyone would know you and I still had a relationship when you were my subordinate." Her met Ed's fierce golden gaze as the blond put two and two together.

Ed concluded quietly, "You could still get in trouble."

Roy nodded. "If we don't want this a secret any longer, we need to convince everyone we started seeing each other _after_ your contract terminates." Ed exhaled loudly, blowing the hair out of his face. He hadn't put it back up yet, but he didn't know where his hairtie went... He didn't know why the thought popped into his head, except that he really didn't want to think about this new conundrum. "I was thinking," Roy said slowly, "that during this time, between now and when we supposedly start seeing each other, we shouldn't... you know. See each other."

Ed's fist clenched around his shirt. "How long might that be?"

Roy shook his head. "I don't know. A week, at least. A month at most."

Ed glared at him. "Two weeks at most."

Roy chuckled despite himself. "Alright, two weeks. Until I come on to you, though, you have to pretend like we never had something together. Act like you would before we went through this." Ed grimaced. He didn't like the idea of spending so much time without Roy when he'd imagined just the opposite for just about a month. But he really couldn't complain, since his job was pretty easy. Roy smirked. "Oh, and don't worry about me. My girlfriend for the past month just left me, and I'm heartbroken. I've just sworn off of dating women for the rest of my life and after you leave tonight I have to make a hysterical, drunken call to Hughes."

Ed couldn't help the amusement that rose as he imagined a girl dumping Roy after dating him for a month. How humiliated Roy would be. Then a thought passed by and he scowled. "Your girlfriend left you, so you hit on your ex subordinate a week or two later? I'm your _rebound_?"

Roy shrugged. "What works, works."

Ed scoffed, and slid off the bed again. "Whatever, bastard. I'm going home and you're going to pay for making me your stupid rebound."

* * *

Ed walked into work the next morning in relatively low spirits. He hadn't been able to spend the entire night with Mustang and had, essentially, broken up with the man, albeit temporarily. He had to be to work early, too, for the staff meeting, so even after he'd gone home, he hadn't been able to sleep as much as he'd wanted to. He would have just played hookie, but something drew him in. Curiosity, plain and simple.

He sat down at the table with the team, everyone assembled sleepily, except for Mustang. Hawkeye was standing at the head of the table, shuffling some papers around. It was frustrating that Mustang wasn't there. After all, he was who Ed was curious about... The inner office door opened to reveal the object of Ed's brooding, eyes bloodshot and his hair ruffled. Ed had to hand it to him. Mustang really did look like he'd been crying all night. The Brigadier General shuffled toward the table and sat down, chin raised high.

Havoc's eyebrows shot up. "You alright, sir?"

Breda agreed, "You don't look so hot."

Roy put on a very forced-looking smile. "I'm fine. Thanks for your concern. Now let's-"

"Did something happen?" Fuery asked innocently, eyes wide with concern.

Roy stared at the well intentioned man. He opened his mouth to answer, but stopped short, and looked away. He shook himself and cleared his throat. "Nothing I can't handle." He rifled through some papers and pulled them out. "Alright, let's get this meeting over." There was a general murmur of consent, albeit hesitant because everyone was preoccupied with Roy's wellbeing. But the door to the hallway burst open, and everyone turned to see Maes Hughes, smiling widely and brimming with cheerfulness.

"Oh, Roy," he said, gathering the General into a hug and squeezing him. "I'm so sorry about your loss!"

Roy scowled and grumbled, "You don't _look _sorry..."

"Because I have a solution!" Maes exclaimed, jumping backward and beaming.

Roy pinched the bridge of his nose. "I don't know why I tell you these things..."

Maes laughed. "All you have to do is chase her! Girls love being chased!" He crouched so he was eye level with Roy, who was seated, and pressed their cheeks together, pointing off into the distance. Roy's gaze followed the pointing arm, expression unemphatic. "The stars tell me she was the one for you! You're going to catch her and run off with her into the sunset, and get married and have adorable children who won't be half as adorable as my own daughter!" He stood up and grabbed Roy's hand. "I support your marriage; I knew you two were good for each other. You were so happy before! Don't let it go! Seize this opportunity, prove your love to her!"

Ed raised both eyebrows, trying not to laugh. Roy gave Maes a flat look. "Do you think I haven't done anything and everything possible to keep her around?" He looked away, working his jaw impatiently. "Get out, Maes. We're having a staff meeting." Maes laughed heartily and shoved pictures of Elicia in Roy's face.

"Then let these cute pictures of my daughter soothe your aching soul!"

Roy stood up suddenly and knocked Maes's hand away. The photos went flying, and fluttered gracefully to the floor, while Roy glared at his best friend and Maes just stared back in surprise. Roy's jaw clenched and unclenched while he tried to control his (pretend) fury. His breath was quick, and he tried to take a deep breath to calm down, but it didn't work. Tears stung at his eyes. "Don't rub it in. I was supposed to have seven beautiful daughters!" He turned around and stomped out of the room. Maes ran after him.

Hawkeye cleared her throat and stood up. "The Brigadier General is having some emotional trouble and unfortunately can't join us for our staff meeting." The team exchanged glances, but Ed just stared at the ceiling, trying not to smile or laugh. Really, wasn't that a little bit overboard? Seven beautiful daughters? He'd taken Roy for a man who'd want sons... Ed amused himself throughout the staff meeting by reviewing and repeating that interaction over and over...

* * *

The rest of that day, and the next, were some of the hardest of Ed's adult life. He was antsy, ready to leave the military, ready to be out and about. He couldn't see Roy outside of work anymore, not even in secret. They really needed to be apart for this to work, and his bed in his apartment (which had gone mostly unused this past month) was very cold and empty. He slept well, but he hated getting into bed and jerking off without Mustang... Never mind that every waking second at work, everyone was talking about Mustang and his breakup. So annoying.

Finally, however, on the third day, on Friday, his very last day of work, he came into the office and found no one was sitting around whispering about Roy. Instead, a chorus of, "Surprise!" and bright colored balloons assaulted him. He was jerked suddenly into the crowd of coworkers and friends who had gathered to say farewell to him. There were a lot of people trying to get out of work that he didn't even know, but it was nice to see how many people would miss him.

Nothing of note really happened during the party, since Ed knew he'd still be seeing the team regularly (through his research and through Mustang), and there were no awkward goodbyes necessary. Hawkeye had made them promise that they'd do work _during _the party as well, so it was mostly just doing work with more chatting and some cake and balloons. Mustang, Ed discovered, had taken the day off. Hawkeye had explained, "That's two people he's going to miss for the rest of his life, leaving in just one week."

Ed had snorted and replied, "Yeah right; he doesn't care that much about me," but deep down he was frustrated. Roy wasn't losing anyone; why was he taking the day off? This day, of all days. Ed went home that evening, irritated and brooding over the situation. The second he closed his front door behind him, the phone rang. He sighed irritably and growled into the phone, "What the hell do you want?"

"Wow, brother, something happen? The breakup going poorly?"

He plopped onto the couch, running a hand through his hair. "He wasn't at work today. My last day! What the hell was he thinking?" Al replied with some reassuring words that rang hollow in Ed's ears, but that was when it really sunk into Ed's brain. He was done, out of the military. Now was the start of his new life, his new career... He hadn't really thought about what he would do for work now, but he didn't think he'd have much trouble. "Damn. Maybe I should do some job hunting."

"You haven't already?" Al responded with exasperation.

Ed scowled. "I didn't think about it."

Al sighed. "I'll see if I can help you out. I have a friend in Central."

Ed's shoulders dropped, a sudden wave of affection and appreciation and gratefulness washing over him. Al had always been there, always had his back, gave sound advice. "Thanks," he finally choked out, strangled by his emotion. He wasn't about to cry or anything, but he was breathless at how sudden the emotions had come. "Really. Thanks."

Al sensed the sincerity, and paused before he responded. "You're welcome."

Ed cleared his throat. "Anything new with you?"

"No, not really. You sound rushed. Do you have to go?"

Ed looked down at his hands. He could use some time to himself, but... The phone beeped in his ear. "Yeah, someone's on the other line. I'll call you tomorrow." Al said his farewells and hung up and Ed answered the other call he'd gotten. "Hello?"

"Heya, chief," Havoc's voice greeted him, "The team's out tailing Mustang. Apparently Maes set him up on a date. Wanna come watch?" Ed froze, letting the words sink in. A date... Maes had set it up, but Roy didn't bother telling Ed. Maybe he hadn't had the chance to...? But he would go on a date and not to Ed's last day of work? "Ed?" Havoc asked. Ed cleared his throat. There had to be circumstances he wasn't aware of. Right now he wanted to be alone, particularly after this frustrating day, and this disturbing news.

"No, I'm job hunting. Maybe next time."

"Okay. Maes says he has dates set up for Roy every day up until next week. Tell us when you wanna come tail him."

Ed frowned. "Will do. Bye."

"Bye!"

He lay down on the couch and closed his eyes. There was nothing to worry about...

And he seriously believed it.

That was, until seven days later. He'd spent the past week looking around for jobs, doing his own research that he'd been dying to work on. His research was at a standstill that day and he'd just booked an interview with Al's friend. He was feeling pretty good, had eaten and taken a run then lifted some weights because he had nothing else to do, and was wondering what he could possibly do to break through his alchemist's block. His phone rang, supplying a sufficient distraction.

He picked up quickly. "Hello?"

"Heya, Chief! Thought we'd invite you one more time to stalk Mustang on his date."

Ed hummed and leaned back in his chair, comfortable now with the idea of Mustang dating. After all, there were probably circumstances surrounding the date that he didn't know about. It wasn't like Roy was actually cheating on him. "Is this the last one?"

"Well, the last _girl_, but this is the second time he's gone out with her."

Ed frowned. "Maes set them up twice?"

"Roy asked her on a second date. He'll probably ask her on another."

Yeah, totally not cheating... "Sure, I'll come. Where are you meeting up?"

* * *

Ed peered through the bush, narrowing his eyes. Havoc and Breda were to his right, and Hughes to his left, taking pictures, grinning. They couldn't hear the conversation between Roy and his date, but Ed was growing increasingly frustrated. He had to stand outside in the cold, watching Roy all dressed up with a girl with big breasts clinging to his arm. And he couldn't tell if it was serious or not between them! Judging by the whispers on either side of him, it was serious, but they also didn't know the entire circumstances...

"So what's this girl like?" Ed hissed.

Maes whispered back, "She's a single mom who plays the violin. She's a librarian."

Ed almost gagged. "He's dating a _librarian_? Jeez, like dating Scheska..."

"What's wrong with dating Scheska?" Breda asked defensively.

"Nothing," Ed snapped, and added quickly, "for someone who isn't Roy Mustang."

Maes defended the date quickly, "She's a wonderful, intelligent woman."

"Scheska or this girl?"

"Both."

"So what's the difference?"

"_This_ girl has boobs," Havoc supplied.

"She's much less timid," Maes added.

Ed scowled. "Why do _boobs _matter so much...?" he muttered.

"Because they're related to the human production system," Breda answered mechanically, easily giving the scientific explanation. "Big breasts for lots of milk to feed your babies. Hips are like that, too. Wide hips make it easier for childbirth." Ed scowled and grumbled incoherently and grumpily under his breath. He didn't want to be here. He'd needed to get out, he had to admit, but he didn't want to see this when he didn't know how it happened or why Roy was going through with this... How long would the man wait before contacting Ed, before telling him that they could sleep together again or that they were breaking up? Was this that bastard's way of breaking up with him? No confrontation, just lies and moving on?

"I can't stand this anymore," Ed growled.

Havoc raised an eyebrow. "Something wrong, Chief? Jealous?" he added slyly.

Ed remembered he had to act like he wasn't being cheated on, and turned his head away. "No. I just can't stand watching this gooey romantic stuff."

"So you _are _jealous of Mustang."

He huffed and stood up. "I'm leaving. Bye, guys." They whispered back their farewells, and he left, his thoughts swirling. Maybe he could call Mustang and ask... but their charade... there might be circumstances he didn't know about... He punched a telephone pole. It wasn't like him not to confront a problem, and he hated. "That's it," he growled, "I'm staying home and _working_."

* * *

"Ivan Rechoric. Nice to meet you." He held out a slender, pale hand. Ed shook it, looking Ivan up and down. Dressed semi formally in earth tones, tallish and lanky, with a wide smile and too bright eyes. His accent was annoying, too. Maybe Ed's view was marred by his anger from the night before, but he wasn't in the mood to deal with this stuff. "This interview is just to keep up pretenses. You're pretty much already hired. Do you have any questions for me?"

"What kind of research do you do?" Straight to the point so he could go home sooner.

Ivan plucked a book from his bookshelves lining his office wall. "Here's a good summary. I'm not very good with words." Ed took it, read the title and the author, and recalled already reading this book. He hummed and handed it back. Interesting... Why would Al have connections with a guy like this?

"How do you know Al?"

"We met in a trip to Xing."

Ed grunted. "Okay. Will I have a partner or anything?"

"Only for the first couple weeks until you're assimilated. You'll like her. Al did."

"So when am I starting?"

"Monday?"

"Great."

They shook hands, said brief farewells, and Ed left, feeling like he'd accomplished something. He had a job now, his own income, and he could research something fairly interesting. Fuck Roy and his potentially cheating ass. He was going to get on with his life, whether or not Roy was in it. It was up to Mustang whether or not they spoke; Ed wasn't going to put any more effort into it. He was sick of wondering.

* * *

Ed was reading upside down on his couch when his phone rang the next evening. He reached out without looking and put it to his ear, not saying a word. It was a social experiment to see what the caller would do. "Heya, Chief?" He bit his lip, wondering if he wanted to talk to Havoc. Hopefully he wasn't asking him to stalk Roy again... "Chief? Hellooooo? Is anyone there? Hello? What's going on? Can you hear me? Hello? Hello? Hello!"

"Will you stop repeating yourself?"

"Oh, Ed, I couldn't hear you."

"But I've been yelling into the phone."

"Strange..."

"Yeah, I think it's broken. So what's up?"

"Roy decided to drop it with that librarian mom. We're going out drinking tonight. Wanna-?"

Ed didn't need to think about it. He could use a good drink. "Sure."

* * *

Roy sat at the bar next to Havoc, knocking back his first shot of the night. Ever since Maes had been setting him up on these dates, he'd been under constant supervision. Maes wanted to make sure he was eating right, Breda wanted to make sure he wasn't cutting or anything incredibly stupid like that. Therefore, he hadn't been able to contact Ed. And he was certain Ed knew about the dates, as he'd seen the blond leaving his party of stalkers one night. That could be a problem, if he was jumping to conclusions, but hopefully Ed was smarter than that.

In any case, he needed to clear things up with Ed ASAP and tonight was the night to do it if Ed showed up like Havoc had promised. This "hooking up with Ed" thing was happening a little earlier than he'd planned, but he couldn't risk his relationship with the blond for a slightly more convincing act. As it was, he was pretty sure Hawkeye had seen past the charade. The "seven beautiful daughters" must have tipped her off...

He tried his hardest not to look too quickly when Havoc exclaimed, "Ed! You came!" Ed sat down next to Havoc, and the cigarette smoking man ordered a round of shots for the newcomers. Ed had entered with Maes and Breda, and they crowded the smoky bar. Shots after shots were rammed down Ed's throat before he could open his mouth to argue.

Everything was fuzzy and time passed by quickly, with drunken songs and many long winded stories from Havoc. Breda was quite funny if one could hear past his drunken slur, and Ed was caught up in this whirlwind of activity and talking. By the time he threw up outside in the snow and couldn't control his tongue when he spoke, Roy was desperate to have a word with him. It seemed pointless with Ed so shitfaced, but he just wanted to talk to the blond... The entire time he'd sat at the bar, drinking slowly and solemnly like a man who'd just had his heart ripped out, unable to get Ed alone.

So he jumped at his chance when Breda clapped Ed on the back and said, "Maybe you should go home. You drank a lot."

Ed burped, looking miserable. "Yeah, I don't feel good."

Roy sighed, as if he was taking on a responsibility he didn't want to. "I'll bring you home Ed."

Ed blinked and hiccupped. "You - hic! - sure? This's your party..." He hiccuped again.

"It's getting late anyway and I just want to be alone," he assured Ed, and took the blond's arm. Everyone waved and shouted goodbyes as the two of them left the bar. They were silent for several long minutes outside in the cold, Ed leaning heavily on Roy and stumbling often. Roy was buzzed himself, but he was glad he wasn't half as shitfaced as Ed. "You know those dates didn't mean anything, right? I couldn't get out of them, and I was being watched constantly, so I couldn't call you."

Ed hiccupped. "And the girl - hic! - you asked out yourself? Hic!"

Roy sighed. "I had to make it seem like I was looking for a significant other for this to be convincing."

Ed leaned into him, relaxing more. "You're warm. Let's go back to your place."

Roy grinned. "Sure."

So they did, stumbling drunkenly and talking about their past week. Ed had conceded with a hiccup that Roy's week had been much worse, constantly pretending to be heartbroken and always under surveillance. They arrived at Roy's home, and went immediately to bed, initially with the thought that Ed needed to sleep off the alcohol. Ed curled up immediately in the bed, and Roy took off his shirt before laying down with a relieved sigh, closing his eyes. The bed was warm again with Ed in it...

His eyes fluttered open when an uncoordinated hand suddenly grabbed his crotch. He turned to look at Ed, who was smirking lecherously, still hiccupping. Roy wondered what he should do. Take advantage of Ed's horny, drunken state? Would Ed see it that way in the morning, or would he just be glad that they'd finally had sex after such a long week? He leaned down and kissed the blond, quickly earning a tongue that flashed into his mouth and tasted like a lot of vodka.

Ed's hand still clumsily massaged his crotch, and his rapidly hardening member. Oh, how could Ed be so sexy, even in this state? Roy grabbed Ed's slim hip, sucking hard on Ed's tongue. Ed let out a half moan and straddled his partner. Roy could feel Ed's hard on through their pants, particularly when Ed ground his hips against Roy's, desperately humping the General.

Roy broke the kiss, chuckling breathlessly, and stilled Ed's hips with a firm grip. "Hold your horses, Ed. We just got started." Ed leaned down, resting his forehead on Roy's, hot breath ghosting along Roy's cheeks.

"I haven't gotten any in a week. Fuck taking it slow."

Roy couldn't argue with that, so he reached up for Ed's belt while Ed kissed him again. He quickly discarded the belt and reached into Ed's pants. Ed broke the kiss, resting his forehead on Roy's shoulder, and squeezed his eyes shut while Roy's hand stroked him, squeezing in all the right places, so fucking hot and... Pleasure rolled up his spine in waves. "Fuck," he hissed, earning another chuckle from Roy, who took his hand back.

"Come on, Ed," he purred teasingly, "Don't just sit there."

Ed sat up and immediately went for Roy's pants, removing the offending article of clothing with vigour. Then he squirmed out of his own pants, consequently no longer straddling Roy. Roy took the opportunity to sit up, and examine Ed's body. Lithe, fit, hair a giant mess, and a tight ass... He smirked and pushed Ed onto his back. Ed let him do this, entranced with Roy's hard muscles and smooth skin. Before Roy could do much more than that, however, Ed stuck his fingers in his mouth, coating them with saliva, and shoved them downward, and up his ass. Roy blinked and watched, entranced, dick hardening with every second as he watched those tan fingers writhe inside Ed's entrance. Ed curled his fingers and gasped as blinding pleasure overrode every trace of his pain. He gasped, and his back arched, and Roy couldn't stand it anymore.

He pulled Ed's hand away, grabbed the lubrication from his nightstand, lathered himself up quickly, and knelt between Ed's spread legs. Ed met his gaze, eyes heavy lidded, breath heavy. "Fuck me," he demanded, scooting closer. Roy swallowed, and inched into that tight, lovely, hot, familiar ass. Ed hissed at the pain. Roy leaned down and kissed him, already feeling his pleasure mounting.

Ed squirmed a little, sending waves of pleasure through Roy, who sat up further. Ed rested his ankles on Roy's shoulders, and demanded again, "Fuck me! Come on, I'm dying for it." Roy inched in further, and Ed squirmed again, more rolling pleasure blinding Roy. "Come on, bastard!" So Roy inched out, and pushed back in. Ed threw his head back, in pain or pleasure Roy wasn't sure, but Ed's dick stood proud and hard.

So Roy reached down to distract Ed from the pain, and started to pump. It was easiest to do it in time with his thrusts, which brought him closer and closer to the brink. The brink happened to be right after Ed closed his eyes and moaned loudly, demanding Roy went faster. He tried to meet Ed's demands, thrusting faster each time, his grip tightening reflexively on Ed's dick. Ed cried out, back arching again, his seed spilling into Roy's hand. Ed's whole body tightened as Roy moved, and finally brought the General over the brink.

He sat there for a long moment, breath heavy, listening to Ed pant, feeling tired and sated and still buzzed. He slipped out of Ed's body and sighed. Ed curled up and fell asleep almost immediately, product of satisfaction and alcohol. Roy did his best to clean up, but soon collapsed next to Ed and let his eyes flutter closed.

* * *

As Roy was prone to wake recently, he awoke to the sound of someone stomping up the stairs in his home, and calling his name cheerfully. Sometimes it was Hughes or Breda, and this morning it sounded like Havoc. Roy opened his eyes blearily, and found Ed in his arms, unabashedly naked atop the blankets, snoring lightly, and sleeping deeply. His head ached dully and he was so thirsty...

His bedroom door flung open and Havoc flicked on the lights. "Good morning, Rooaaaaaah!" He jumped backwards at the sight of Ed and Roy naked in bed, sleeping peacefully together. Roy lifted his head and squinted at Havoc, and looked between the blond in his bed and the blond who'd interrupted his peaceful moment. He sat up and groaned pitifully. His head hurt...

Havoc's jaw hung open. "Mustang. Boss. Do you realize who you...?"

Roy glanced at Ed and groaned, burying his face in his hands. "Get out, Havoc..."

Havoc gladly turned tail and ran. Roy lay back down and closed his eyes, enjoying Ed's warmth. Oh, he'd missed sleeping next to Ed... Ed stirred under his arm and he watched the blond wake up. Golden eyes blinked at him, and the matching eyebrows furrowed. "My head..." Ed mumbled, "...doesn't hurt as bad as I'd thought it would."

"Yeah. Well, Havoc just came in and saw us. Does that make it worse?"

Ed smacked him with his metal arm. "Don't _try _to make it worse, you jerk!" Roy chuckled and pulled Ed closer, inhaling the scent of Ed deeply... How many times would Ed have to sleep in this bed before that pillow smelled like him, too? Ed continued to grumble, but he didn't say anything coherent, as it was apparent Roy had been teasing him and that no offense had been intended. Even more importantly, Roy was having a moment that he'd rather not interrupt.

"I'm so glad you're back," the older man murmured and kissed Ed's neck. "I missed sleeping with someone..."

"You missed _fucking _people."

"That, too," Roy murmured and continued to kiss Ed's beautiful skin.

Ed sat up, tearing himself away from the embarrassing display of affection. "Whatever. Go get to work."

"Come with me," Roy pleaded, grabbing Ed's hand and playing with his flesh fingers.

"Fine," Ed snapped, snatching his hand back. "Just stop acting so fuckin' romantic."

"I'm just happy," Roy replied, rolling out of bed and pulling on some clothes.

Ed sneered, "Then I'll just have to make you miserable if you're going to act like this when you're glad!" Roy chuckled, and they went about their morning getting ready for work. Ed realized, although it felt natural and practiced like they'd done it before, that this was the first time they'd been able to do that. So after eating breakfast, showering, and getting dressed, they walked to work, deep in conversation.

"We'll have to pretend like things are a little awkward," Roy said.

Ed snorted. "I'm done pretending."

"Who will believe that we're completely comfortable dating after one drunken night?"

"But we _were _comfortable the first time we had se-"

"After we'd had an argument."

"So we'll just say we had one!"

"But that won't-" Roy stopped abruptly and he realized that they were walking up the stairs to the building, and that Breda was only a few feet away, listening with his eyebrows raised. Roy sent him a terse smile and then turned to Ed, smile still tight. "Well, I'm going to work."

Ed rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah." He frowned suddenly. "What time is it?"

Roy checked the clocktower. "Nine thirty."

Ed cried out in frustration. "I'm going to be late!" He turned around and sprinted down the stairs. Roy started up the stairs again and Breda joined him smoothly. They exchanged brief greetings and Breda made polite conversation until they got up to the office, where Havoc was shouting, and Fuery looked horrified and Hughes absolutely beaming and Hawkeye... impassive. Breda joined them, but Roy stood his ground and listened to Havoc's tale.

"...and I couldn't believe it! Ed and Mustang! They're, like, twenty years apart! So I left and-"

"Fourteen," Roy interjected. All eyes turned to him. Hughes was still beaming, and Hawkeye had this sharp look on her face. Fuery cowered, Breda leaned back in his chair and watched, and Havoc's face drained of color and his shoulders dropped. Roy raised both eyebrows. "Fourteen years apart. Adding six years is quite an insult. Ed would say you're calling him a child."

Hawkeye added, "And you should assume he was calling you an old man."

Roy met her gaze, and then went down the line, meeting Hughes's, then Havoc's. "Well? Are you going to continue your story or get back to work? As I understand it, my personal life shouldn't interfere with _your _work. Even when I came into work crying none of you were this interested." None of them moved, frozen with their fear and wonder.

Maes squealed. "Ed and Roy both found true love! Now you can get married and-"

"And I can get back to work," Roy interrupted sharply, and sent Maes on his way, ignoring the happiness that rolled off of his best friend. But once Maes was gone, Roy realized just how dismal this atmosphere was. Most of his team was horrified and Hawkeye still had that sharp look on her face, like he'd done something awful. He crossed his arms. "Can I help you guys?"

"Sir," Hawkeye said sharply, "Permission to speak freely?"

"Yes."

"It's disgusting. Fourteen years apart-"

"Is none of your concern. Edward is an adult. He can make his own decisions."

"You've known him since he was a child-"

"Which would only enhance my understanding of his character, wouldn't it?"

"Doesn't it disgust you?" she asked finally, searching his eyes for remorse.

Roy smiled. "Sex with other adults never disgusts me, Hawkeye."

Breda broke in, "What about that rule? Divide your age in half and add seven?"

"Tried it," Roy answered, "He's too young, but it's also too late."

"As long as you don't plan on doing it again," Fuery said with a shudder.

Havoc added, "You were drunk last night, too, not thinking straight..."

Roy shrugged. "It was a buzz. And before Ed and I decide on whether or not we'll do it again, he and I need to talk. Can we get back to work now?"

"But the age difference..."

He clenched his fists. "Is that really your only argument? If that's the only problem you have, your arsenal is very limited and you'd better drop it because I've already told you that _Ed's an adult_ and he can make his own decisions. None of you have yet to counter this fact." His hard, fierce gaze landed on each of them, making Fuery squirm. "He's an adult _now_, and I'm not a pedophile. Anything _else _you'd like to mention? Preferably something that doesn't mention age?"

Fuery raised a timid hand. "Wasn't he... your subordinate?"

"Not anymore," Roy replied dryly. "Any last comments?"

Breda raised his own hand. "I just wanted to say I'm the only one in this room who thinks your relationship with Ed is perfectly acceptable."

Roy paused. "Thank you. Now, get back to work." He went into his inner office and closed the door behind him. He leaned against the door and looked up at the ceiling, thoughts whirling madly in his head. Breda and Hughes were the only people who thought it was acceptable... It really was disgusting, wasn't it? But was it disgusting enough to break up with Ed? Hurt the blond's feelings and get rid of the awesome sex and the warm bed...?

He snorted. That wasn't even a question. He was too happy with Ed. So he sat down at his desk and didn't come out of his office until the very end of the day. When he opened the door to leave that evening, he found himself facing his entire team, each with grave expressions, Fuery with a notepad full of notes in front of him.

"Sit down and talk with us," Hawkeye ordered him. He rolled his eyes and sat down. It was like an intervention... She took a deep breath. "I'm sorry we kept bringing up Ed's age. That isn't the real problem here." Roy raised an eyebrow. There was another problem? "It is a shocking age difference, but you were right about Edward being an adult."

"What's the problem, then?"

"Your reputation as a promiscuous gentleman."

Roy leaned back. "Ah."

Fuery spoke up. "We don't want you to just string him along."

Havoc said, "He'll only get hurt in the end."

Hawkeye finished, "Even if you really think you love him now, you'll soon cheat on him."

Roy winced. "That was harsh. I thought you'd know me better, Hawkeye."

"It sounded definite but I'm only thinking of worst case scenarios."

He stood up. "How about we forget scenarios and look at reality?" All eyes were on him, and he knew this was his only chance to prove to everyone that this wasn't a mistake. He raised his chin. "Ed and I are adults. I'm legitimately attracted to him. His age, if anything, makes me _more _attached to his personality, since I know him better than if I hadn't seen him grow up. I know what I'm getting into; I don't plan on hurting him, and I'll try my hardest not to. That said, every relationship has ups and downs, and I can't tell the future, but I'll do anything to _not _break up with him. Even if you guys tell me it's for the best. Even if my reputation and my career falls down. My career _should _stay intact; but it depends on you guys." He took a deep breath. "Now, if you'll excuse me..." And he left them to their own thoughts.

Oh, he was looking forward to seeing Ed and having a little fun after this giant mess of a day...

And he had no idea the kind of fun and stress relief Ed had in mind for that night.


	4. Epilogue

Roy closed his eyes, his nose against the crook of Ed's hot neck. Blond hair tickled his forehead as he thrusted into that sweet body. Blinding pleasure brought Ed to grasp Roy's shoulders and leave bruises. Roy was much gentler, preferring to keep his arm wrapped around his lover's waist to keep their skin in contact. Ed moaned in his ear, and Roy felt him tighten around him as he orgasmed for the third time that morning. It didn't take long for Roy to release afterward. Despite his weak muscles, he kept himself from slumping on top of Ed and slowly slid out.

Ed exhaled loudly and stared up at the ceiling. This was the best part, lying in bed naked beside Roy. The part where everything became blissfully clear, and he was still incredibly sated. He could lay there forever, Roy beside him, thinking about his life. Was it really only a month ago where he thought Roy was cheating on him? Two months ago that he stared up at the stars and his thoughts went in circles, thinking about what he could do with his feelings for Roy Mustang...? He sighed contentedly. This was the good life.

Roy patted his exposed belly and stood up. "It's time to go to work, Ed."

Ed snorted. "It's time for _you _to go to work. I can sleep another two hours."

Roy pulled on his clothes, silently wondering why Ed insisted on pointing that out every morning. Rubbing it in his face like that... He set the thought aside. It was probably because he insisted on telling Ed that it was time to go to work, but he only said it because he wasn't thinking. "Then go back to sleep for another two hours. I'm going to work." He pulled his socks on, and briskly turned to the door, only to find a still nude Edward leaning against the doorframe and blocking his way. He raised a single eyebrow in question.

"I want you to stay home."

Roy rolled his eyes. "This is childish, Ed. I need to get to work." Ed set his jaw stubbornly, and Roy knew he was going to be late. On cue, the phone rang, and Roy stepped forward to answer it, but Ed stepped in his way. They stared at each other, gazes locked, for one intense minute, before Roy just flung Ed to the side and ran to catch the phone. Ed ran after him, shouting protests and expletives. Roy picked the phone up on the last ring with a breathless, "Roy speaking."

Havoc laughed. "Is that Ed I hear?"

Roy sent a glance at the now ranting Edward. "Yeah."

"Wow, what'd you do?"

"I told him I was going into work today."

"Maybe it's his birthday and you forgot?"

"No, I'm good at remembering dates."

"Okay, well, I thought you should know Hawkeye's coming to get you. Something urgent is going on."

Roy grimaced and sent Ed a sharp look. Ed, outraged, just started shouting louder, flailing about. Roy closed his eyes, trying to collect his waning patience. "Something urgent?" he repeated, "Can you clarify?" Ed shut up suddenly at those words, staring intently at Roy. Roy tried his best to ignore that burning gaze. He'd known it was the only way to get Ed to shut up, but he had hoped he wouldn't have to resort to that.

Havoc replied grimly, "Not over the phone."

The doorbell rang. "That would be Hawkeye."

"Okey dokey. Bye, boss."

Roy hung up and turned around, headed for the front door. "I might be late today."

Ed crossed his arms. "Alright. Don't do anything stupid."

Roy flashed him his trademark smirk. "Don't worry, Ed. I'm not you."

Ed exploded with insults, but Roy ignored it and finally went to work.


End file.
